Performances

Tune of the Day: The Maple Leaf Forever

Canadian song, arranged for flute and piano

This song was written by Alexander Muir in 1867, the year of Canada's Confederation. It became quite popular in English Canada and for many years served as an unofficial national anthem. Because of its strongly British perspective, however, it became unpopular among French Canadians, and this prevented it from ever becoming an official anthem, even though it was seriously considered for that role and was even used as a de facto anthem in many instances.

Muir was said to have been inspired to write this song by a large maple tree which stood on his street in front of Maple Cottage, a house at Memory Lane and Laing Street in Toronto. The tree fell during a windstorm in 2013, and wood from it was used to make objects that will preserve its importance to Canadian culture, including the gavel for the Supreme Court of Canada and the speaker's podium for the Toronto City Council.